Secord raises Israeli approach to Covid vaccinations at NSW Parliamentary hearing
Israel’s vaccination rates and its roll-out of a third Pfizer booster jab were canvassed at a recent NSW Health budget estimates hearings by the NSW Labor Opposition.
Dr Kerry Chant and Minister Brad Hazzard at the meeting
NSW Labor frontbencher Walt Secord asked NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant and NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard about Israeli vaccination rates and whether NSW was examining the Israeli experience – particularly whether NSW would follow Israel and begin a third booster vaccination.
In response, the Berejiklian Government responded saying that NSW and Federal Governments were “actively” looking at the Israeli data and its effectiveness for children over the age of 12.
Minister Hazzard also said: “The Federal Government’s advisory body (ATAGI – Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation) is obviously considering those issues.”
At the hearing, on behalf of the NSW Labor Opposition, Mr Secord praised NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant and frontline health and hospital staff.
After the hearing, Mr Secord said: “Israel is on the cutting edge to the management and treatment of COVID-19 and the Delta variant. There is much that NSW and the Federal Government can learn from the Israeli experience. This includes the effectiveness of a third booster and when to provide that extra protection.”
“While NSW and Australia are rushing to provide first and second vaccinations to their citizens, Israel is now beginning a third booster vaccination as there is research showing that it might be needed six to eight months after the second vaccination to continue to provide protection,” Mr Secord said.
While Israel was slightly larger in population size than NSW, it had fully vaccinated 60.3 per cent of its residents while NSW had double vaccinated 33.8 per cent. In fact, Israel was now beginning a third booster vaccination.
In his annual Rosh Hashanah message, Mr Secord also congratulated the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies on their campaign to encourage vaccinations within the community so that the State Government can ease restrictions. “From the point of view of the State Labor Opposition, we will continue to be bipartisan on the health response to COVID – so that next year, we will be able to celebrate Rosh Hashanah face-to-face.”
Mr Secord is also the Shadow Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism and is the Deputy Chair of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel.
